kurtz



n. K URTZ. EXCAVATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT 1?!- F918- Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

5 SHEEI'SSHEET I- R. KURTZ. EXCAVATING MACHINE. APPLICATION meg SEPLH, 191a.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

R. KURTZ.

EXCAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man SEPT. n. ma.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

R. KURTZ.

EXCAVATING MACHINE.

APPLlCATION HLEDSEPL I], 1918- Patenwd Apr. 4, 1922.

5 shins-sum 4.

R. KURTZ.

EXCAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED sEPLn, 1918.

MW A Mm p w mm fm m UNITED STATES ROBERTO KURTZ QF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA.

EXCAVATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4., 1922.

Application filed September 17, 1918. Serial No. 254,489.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Rosnn'ro Kunrrz, citizen of the Argentine Republic, and a resident of Campana, Province of Buenos Aires. Argentine Republic, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention refers to a new system of excavator with unsuspended mechanical shovels.

According to this invention, the shovels slide upon the earth, and by means of the devices hereinafter explained, they may be caused to excavate to any desired depth, to run over a horizontal plane, to ascend any incline, and to discharge at the desired point.

As the construction of the work goes on, the shovels continue to slide over the profile which they themselves go on constructing, being drawn by appropriate machines, by means of chains, cables or ropes. This systern isapplicable to the construction of canals, roads, railways, embankments and excavations in general, regardless of the distance or terrace between the excavation and the point or points where the earth is to be deposited.

In the accompanying drawings. Fig. l is a horizontal projection of one of the two sets of machines used; Fig.2 is a vertical pro jection of thesame; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a series of two shovels, and Figures 4 to 12 are views of a shovel in various positions as will be hereinafter described.

The drawings illustrate an excavator in the work of constructing a canal. This excavator is composed of two sets of machines, two trains of shovels, and four roller car- The construction is as follows:

One of the sets of machines is represented in horizontal projection in Fig. 1 and in vertical projection (rear view) in Fig. 2. It is placed to the left of the canal in construction. The other set is placed to the right of the canal, being identical with the first mentioned in its details of construction and operation, and symmetrically placed with relation to the same. The line X X represents the plane of symmetry, the entire part to the right of the plane of symmetry being suppressed in the drawings.

The machine body is composed of a frame A mounted upon four wheels. A motor which is not shown in the drawings, and which may be of any adequate type, transmits a constant movement to the shaft 0 mounted below the frame. On this shaft rotates the pinion 7) which meshes with the gear wheel 0. Another similar pinion 7), not shown in the drawings, meshes with the gear wheel 0. The gear wheels 0 and 0 move together with the drumsd andd on which are wound the cables, chains or ropes by which the trains of shovels are drawn. The pinions b and 5 turn freely on the shaft 0 but their movement may be communicated to the same by means of clutches which are manipulated by the levers c and e.

For each line of shovels the set of machines is provided with an apparatus which I call the stabilizer. Each stabilizer is composed of two rigid equal arms B B, rigidly connected together and mounted upon a wheel D. a

In their upper part they are provided witl a pulley D over which passes the chain, cable or rope by which the trains of shovels are drawn. The stabilizer terminates in two equal arms joined to the machine by the pins E E placed in the vertical plane which contains the centre of gravity of the body of the machine.

The stabilizer can be raised or lowered with relation to the body of the machine, turning upon the pins E E and moving be tween the guides L L, thus permittingthc system to pass over any ground, however irregular it may be.

The drum d and (Z are placed inthe body of the machine in such a manner that the prolongation of the line (Z D (Fig. 2) oft-he chain, rope or cable will intercept the line of the two pins E E when the wheels of the machine body and that of the stabilizer are in the same plane.

The stabilizers are so constructedthatthey may be easily dismounted and removed from themachine body for transportation. The machine body is moved forward or backward over the work by its own motor, and with the, stabilizers placed. avoid lateral-slipping which might be caused by the tension of the cable, the wheel of the stabilizer runs over a rail U (Figs. 1 and 2), formed by a plate which is provided on the upper side with an angular profile which serves as a stop for the Wheel and on'the under side with oblique points which are driven into the soil with a sledge or maul.

In order to Each set of machines is also provided with two trains of shovels shown in Figures 3 to 12, each train being composed of two series,

one which discharges at the right of the Between canal and another at the left. these two series there is a length of chain which may be varied according to the width of the terrace to beleft freebetween the excavation and the embankment. The two series are equal and are symmetrically placed with the horizontal plane dihedral angles of fourteento fifteen degrees. At the front the shovel is provided with a blade J terminating in a point, and at the back and sides are two handles by means of which two men, one on each side, direct the shovel in the operation of charging. Each shovel carries at a certain distance infront of the point of the blade and at a certain height, a stop H the object of which is to prevent the shovel from penetrating in the earth beyond a certain depth, as will be hereinafter explained. In the rear shovels the sto H is fixed to two bars rigidly bolted to the sldes of the shovels. In the front shovel the stop H is fixed to the automatic discharging apparatus, which is composed of two bars I rotatable on the bolts I" and which are riveted at their front end to the bars H which support the stop H. Between the bars H and I are two stops t and t which leave a free space for the piece K which terminates at both ends in hooks 'which close over the pin Z. (Figs. 3 and The two shovelsare united by means of the rigid bars M, M fixed at their ends by the two pins 'v, o and by means of the slack chains'N,N". V

The holes a in the sides of the frontshovel permit the fixing of the bar I in a higher or lower position, varying thereby the position of the site H and consequentlyhthc depth of cut. 11 the rear shovel the holes 2' are provided for the same purpose the point it of the automatic dischargmg apparatus there is fixed the draft chain for forward movement and at the point It o fflthe last shovelof the serie'sthe draft chain for backwardmovement.

Theroller carriage, (Figs. 1, 2 and?) consists simply oftwo or more rollers R, fixed uponshafts which rotate in thebearings R carried by "a frame supported by four wheels.

Two roller carriages are required for each llne of shovels. They are placed within a trenhh whlch'may be dug by hand with spades along the ridge of the canal on both sides ofthe same, and the train of shovels pass over them.

These carriages prevent the friction of the cables or chains on the ridges of the canal and facilitate excavation to any required depth.

Operation: On a line normal to the axis of the canal to be constructed there are placed on either side of the same the two sets of machinery. The one at the left (Seen in Figs. 1 and 2) clutches alternately the drums (l and d. The one at the right clutches alternately the opposite drums. Consequently the trains of shovels cross the zone of the canal and the-zones of discharge in reclprocal movement.

Figs. 4 to 12 represent the operation of the shovels which discharge on the right hand side of the canal. On passing throu h the zone of excavation, two attendants lift the handles of the first shovel, until the blade forms with the horizontal an angle of about 30 degrees (Fig. 5') the blade digs into the earth and the entire shovel penetrates until the stop I-l touches the ground. The blade is then forced into a horizontal position (Fig. 6) and no longer tends to penetrate into the earth. 'It has reached its maximum'depth and from now on will make a perfectly horizontal cut until it is filled.

By pressing downwardly the handles at this moment, the shovel again assumes the position shown in Fig. 4 and rises to the surface. The attendants then pass on to charge the second shovel of the series. The leader] shovels pass forward and ascend the incline without any intervention on the partofthe attendants, passing over the roller carriages and arriving at the discharge zone, where another attendant by pulling the rope S (F 8) unhooks the piece K. The draft is now exercised on the pin or bolt I. The

front shovel now tilts, taking for its axis the bolt 4). The chain N N becomes taut,

the rear shovel also tilts, taking as its axis the bolt o, and the entire train is tilted as seen in Fig. 9.

A detail of importance should now be noted. In order that, in'the charging op eration. the front shovelmay take the position shown in Fig. 5, it is indispensable that The point of the chain N be slack, only in this manner 7 can the front shovel and afterwards the second,beindividually charged. Ina series of a greater number of shovels the chain between the second and third would also have to be slack, and so on successively. On

the other hand, the discharge of all the shovels of a series must be simultaneous.

From the position, represented by Fig. 8, in

first in the same interval of time. and this is accomplished by so disposing the moorings T and T of the chain, that the radius r of the arc of the circle described by the mooring T is greater than the radius 1" described by the mooring. T. Thus the result is that the angle T o O is greater than the angle T c 0. By adopting the same disposition between the second and third shovels, etc, the simultaneous discharge OI a series composed of an indefinite number of shovels is obtained, in spite of all the chains being slack.

The series of shovels being discharged, the right hand set oi. machines unclutches that train the left hand set clutches it and draws its backwardly, the shovels now operating in the opposite direction. From the posi tion of Fig. 9 they pass to that of Fig. 8. The last shovel takes a horizontal position and the penultimate one an inclined position; but the traction is now exercised by means of the bar M on the bolt 2; while the point of the shovel presses against the earth. This forces the penultimate shovel to take also the horizontal position. The same thing occurs between the penultimate and antepenultimate shovels and so on successively until the entire series of shovels has returned to the horizontal position.

In Figures 10, 11 and 12, the working is shown of the automatic hook of the discharging apparatus. From the moment shown in Figure 10, the entire front shovel executes (besides the backward movement) an angular movement around the bolt '1; in the direction shown by the arrow. When the bottom of the shovel strikes the earth, the centre of gravity 7c of the piece K has described an arc of a circle 71: 7;" having its centre at n, butthe momentum or centrifugal force impels itover the arc 7c 7r having its centre at it until the piece K comes in contact with the stop i (Figure 11). Finally the action of gravity causes it to return against the stop If closing the hook as seen in Figure 12'.

The empty train returns to the canal where the shovels are loaded tor transporting the earth to the left embankment, and thus successively. The same series of operations is executed with the other train of shovels. The first train excavates the canal to the depth V (Fig. 2) and the second train to the depth V.

lVhen both trains have arrived at the proper depth the two sets of machines are advanced as well as the roller carriages, a distance equal to the width of the shovels and the work is again begun. The roller carriages are not necessary for shallow excavations.

It is evident that the system may be used with an indefinite number of shovel trains.

In its application to the construction of roads, railways, etc, in which there is only one zone of discharge, the trains of shovels will operate in a single direction and one oi? the sets of machinery will be limited to backward traction of the empty shovel trains. The efficiency will naturally be less, but there will still be great advantage over all known systems of excavators.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is

1. In combination with a train of connected shovels and a cable attached thereto, an ambulant element arranged for movement substantially at right angles to said train of shovels and said cable, a winding drum for said cable and mounted on said element, and a stabilizer having a pulley over which said cable passes, said stabilizer being arranged for movement parallel with said ambulantelement and having lateral arms connected thereto.

2. An excavating system comprising ambulant elements arranged on opposite sides of the work and for movement parallel with the work, and each provided with a winding drum, a train of connected shovels arranged between said elements, cables connected to opposite ends of the line of shovels and to the respective drums, and stabilizers arranged for movement parallel with said ambulant elements and connected thereto.

3. An excavating system comprising ambulant elements arranged on opposite sides of the work and for movement parallel with the work, and each provided with a winding drum, 2. train of connected shovels arranged between said elements, cables connected to opposite ends of the line of shovels and to the respective drums, and stabilizers arranged i or movement parallel with said ambulant elements and connected there to for vertical angular movement independ ently thereof, and having pulleys over which said cables pass.

l In combination with a train of connected shovels and a cable attached thereto, an ambulant element arranged for movement substantially at right angles to said train of shovels and said cable, a winding drum for said cable and mounted on said element, and a stabilizer having a pulley over which said cable passes, said stabilizer being an ranged for movement parallel with said ambulant element and having lateral arms con nected thereto, the pulley being arranged at such height and the arms being of such length as to cause the said element to be stable under any tension of the cable.

5. In combination with a train of connect ed shovels and a cable attached thereto, an ambulant element arranged for movement substantially at right angles to said train of shovels and said cable, a winding drum for said cable and mounted on said element and a stabilizer having a pulley over which said cable passes, said stabilizer being arranged for movement parallel. with said am bulant element and having lateral arms pivotally connected thereto, the pivots of said arms being arranged in the vertical lane of the center of gravity of said amulant element.

6. In combination with a train of connect ed shovels and a cable attached thereto, an ambulant element arranged for movement substantially at right angles to said train of shovels and said cable, a winding drum for said cable and mounted on said element, and a stabilizer'having a pulley over which said cable passes, said stabilizer being arranged for movement parallel with said ambulant element and having lateral arms pivotally connected thereto, the pivots of said arms being arranged in the vertical plane of the center of gravity of said ambulant element and also being arranged to intercept the prolongation ofthe line of the cable.

7. In an excavating system, a train of shovels arranged one'in advance of another,

semi d shovels.

8. In an excavating system, a train of shovels arranged one in advance of another, rigid connecting elements pivotally connected to the front ends of said shovels, and flexible elements connecting the rear ends of said shovels, and so arranged that the radius of the are of a circle described by the mooring ofthe flexible connecting element of a shovel on being discharged is greater than the radius of the arc of a circle described by the mooring of the flexible connecting element of the following shovel, thereby per mitting the individual loading of the shovels and the simultaneous discharge thereof. 7

Signed at Buenos Aires, Argentina Re- 7 A. ll. HUNTINGTON, H. G. HUGHES. 

